Wheel assembly



W. P. DOE

WHEEL ASSEMBLY Aug. 2, 1966 Original Filed March 6, 1961 INVENTOR.WALTER P. DOE

his attorneys.

United States Patent 3,263,363 WHEEL ASSEMBLY Walter P. Doe, EastAurora, N.Y., assignor to Fisher- Price Toys Inc, East Aurora, New YorkOriginal application Mar. 6, 1961, Ser. No. 93,401. Divided and thisapplication Feb. 17, 1964, Ser. No. 345,210

9 Claims. (Cl. 46-221) This application is a division of my copendingapplication Serial No. 93,401 filed March 6, 1961, and since abandoned.

This invention relates to action toys, and more particularly to a wheelassembly for toys of the type designed to be pulled or pushed across asupporting surface, such as a floor or the like.

One object is to provide an improved wheel and tire assembly wherein aresilient plastic or rubber tire may be readily placed in position onthe wheel, and which will remain in proper position on the wheel andwill not wobble relative thereto.

Another object is to provide an improved wheel and tire assembly whereina resilient tire may be readily positioned on the wheel and which willbe so securely en gaged by the Wheel that the tire cannot be removedwithout substantially destroying the tire or wheel.

Another object is to provide an improved wheel and tire assembly whereinthe tire is securely held in position on the wheel without the use ofauxiliary or detachable parts and wherein the tire and Wheel eachcomprises a unitary member.

Another object is to provide a toy having the above advantages which isdurable, reliable in operation, and requires a minimum number of partswhich may be readily and economically manufactured and assembled.

To these and other ends the invention resides in certain improvementsand combinations of parts, all as will be hereinafter more fullydescribed, the novel features being pointed out in the claims at the endof the specification.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a top plan view of a toy embodying the pres ent invention;

FIG. 2 is a side elevation of the toy shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged, partially sectioned, elevational view of a wheeland tire assembly of this invention, which view has been taken asindicated by the sectioning line 3--3 in FIG. 1; and

FIG. 4 is a view similar to that of FIG. 3, but showing a relativeposition of the wheel and tire prior to mounting the tire in position onthe wheel.

The preferred embodiment of the present invention, herein disclosed byway of illustration, is represented in the form of a small wheeledvehicle such as a race car shown generally at 20, wherein the head andportions of the drivers body are cause to move as the toy is propelled.However, it will be readily understood that the invention may beincorporated in any suitable type of wheeled toy, racer merely beingshown for the purposes of illustration.

Racer 20 preferably comprises a base or body portion 22 (FIG. 1) of woodor other suitable material which is shaped as shown in the drawings togive the desired appearance. Body portion 22 has side panel members 24secured thereto as by nails or other suitable means, although ifdesired, members 22 and 24 may be formed from a single block of wood ormay comprise a single plastic member. Racer 20 is provided with frontand rear axles 26 and 28, respectively, which are mounted in suitableholes (not shown) in body members 22 and 24. Axles 26 and 28 have wheelor hub members 30 N.Y., a corporation of 3,263,363 Patented August 2,1966 fastened to the opposite ends thereof. Hub members 30 arepreferably of wood or other suitable material and in turn are adapted toreceive and securely engage resilient tire members 32, which are ofrubber, polyethylene or other suitable plastic material.

The upper surface of body member 22 is formed with a recessed portion 34which simulates the cockpit of the racer and in which a simulated figureof a driver shown generally at 36, is positioned for movement, ashereinafter more fully described. A small windshield 38 (FIGS. 1 and 2)of plastic or other suitable material is mounted adjacent the forwardedge of the cockpit, while a roll-over bar 40 of metal or the like ispositioned at the rear of the cockpit.

Driver 36 preferably comprises a first: action portion shown generallyat 42 (FIG. 2) which is shaped to simulate the shoulders and arms 4-4 ofthe driver and steering wheel 46 of the vehicle. Member 42 is formedwith a depending circular flange 48 adjacent the rear portion thereof. Aplastic helmet 56 is secured to the drivers head. The drivers head 54 ismounted on the first action portion 42 for limited vertical movementrelative thereto. The head 54 thus forms a second action member and canbe caused to move with and relative to first action member 42 by meansdescribed in detail in my copending United States patent application,Serial No. 93,401, filed March 6, 1961.

It has been a problem with small wheel-ed vehicles and toys to keep thetires on the wheel, to keep the tires from wobbling on the wheels when achild pushes down on the toy, and to prevent relative rotationtherebetween, especially when it is desired to have the. wheels power amechanism on the toys, such as an action or sound producing mechanism,or a combination of both. However, I have devised an improved tire andwheel assembly wherein a resilient rubber or plastic tire may be readilysnapped in position on the wheel and which cannot be removed therefromwithout substantially damaging the the or wheel. I have been able toachieve this construction without the use of any separate retainingrings or discs, and provide a construction wherein the resistance torelative rotation between the tire and wheel is more than sufficient toinsure proper operation of a conventional actuating or sound producingmechanism when the toy is moved along a supporting surface.

In order to accomplish the above, I preferably form each of tires 32with an inwardly extending circular ridge 84 (FIG. 3) on the inner bore,substantially midway between the inside and outside of the tire as shownin FIGS. 3 and 4. Tires 32 may be of any suitable material but I preferto use blown polyethylene tires having a reasonable degree ofresiliency. Wheel 39 is formed with a hub diameter 86 which is somewhatgreater than the diameter of the internal bore of the tire when the tireis in its normal at-rest position. One end of wheel 30 is tapered, as at88, as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, and the hub is provided with acircumferentially extending recess or groove 90 which is adapted toreceive ridge 84 as shown in PEG. 3. While the above provides a gooddegree of frictional resistance between the tire and wheel, I havefurther found that the interengagement between the tire and wheel may beimproved by providing the hub with a tire engaging rim 92 which isaxially spaced from the recess and which is of greater diameter than thenormal diameter 86 of the hub. In the present embodiment, rim 92 ispositioned in the region of the axially inner end of the hub. Prior topositioning tire 32 on Wheel 31) the axial distance between the axiallyouter edge of rim 92 and the axially outer edge of groove 90 is lessthan the axial distance along the tire from ridge 84 to that portion ofthe tire, which engages the axially outer edge of the rim 92 as shown inFIG. 4.

As a result, when tire 32 is positioned on wheel 30, rim 92 forces theinner portion of the tire to expand to accommodate the rim and at thetime time exerts considerable axial pressure against the tire, forcingridge 84 securely against the axially outer edge of groove 90, as shownin FIG. 3. This pressure stabilizes the tire on the wheel and results ina fit which is so tight that the tire cannot be removed from the samewithout seriously damaging either the tire or the wheel. Not only is thetire securely fastened to the wheel, but the frictional engagementbetween the two is suflicient to prevent relative rotation therebetween,except under the most unusual circumstances, and as a result, wheneverthe tire rotates, the wheel and any associated parts will also rotate.Despite the tenacity of the engagement between the tire and the wheel,the tire may be readily snapped into position on the wheel by merelyinserting it over the tapered portion 88 as in FIG. 4 and pressinginwardly until ridge 84 snaps into groove 90.

Thus my invention provides an improved wheel "and tire constructionwherein the tire may be readily snapped into place on the wheel andwhich will at the same time afford excellent interengagement between thewheel and the tire, so that any motion imparted to the tire member istransmitted to the wheel and onto the actuating means or sound producingmechanism, if such should be used in conjunction with this construction.

It will thus be seen that the invention accomplishes its objects andwhile it has been herein disclosed by reference to the details ofpreferred embodiments, it is to be understood that such disclosure isintended in an illustrative, rather than a limiting sense, as it iscontemplated that various modifications in the construction andarrangement of the parts will readily occur to those skilled in the art,within the spirit of the invention and the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A wheel assembly for toy vehicles and the like, comprising aresilient tire having an internal bore extending therethrough with aradially inwardly extending ridge located substantially midway betweenopposite sides of said tire, a wheel having a diameter slightly largerthan the diameter of said bore and having a recess that receives saidridge of said tire when said tire is positioned on said wheel, saidwheel having an enlarged rim portion with an edge that engages one sideof said tire, the axial distance from said edge of said rim to the edgeof said recess distal to said edge of said rim being sufliciently lessthan the axial distance, prior to said tire being positioned on saidwheel, between said ridge on said tire and said side of said tire thatwhen said tire is positioned on said wheel frictional engagement betweensaid wheel and said tire normally prevents relative rotationtherebetween.

2. A wheel assembly for toy vehicles and the like, comprising aresilient tire having an internal bore extending therethrough with aradially inwardly extending ridge located substantially midway betweenopposite sides of said tire, a wheel having a diameter slightly largerthan the diameter of said bore and having a recess that receives saidridge of said tire when said tire is positioned on said wheel, saidwheel having an enlarged rim portion with an axially outer edge thatengages the axially inner side of said tire and forces the sameoutwardly in a radial direction to accommodate said rim, the distancefrom said edge of said rim to the axially outer edge of said recessbeing sufficiently less than the axial distance, prior to said tirebeing positioned on said wheel, between said ridge and that portion ofsaid side of said tire that engages said edge of said rim, that whensaid tire is positioned on said wheel frictional engagement between saidtire and said wheel normally prevents relative rotation therebetween.

3, A wheel assembly comprising a wheel member that is formed with acircumferential mounting surface on which a tire member can be mounted,and that is formed with an angularly and radially extending abutmentshoulder means,

a generally toroidal, resilient tire member that is formed with acentral bore therethrough that has a diameter that permits snugengagement of the tire member on the mounting surface of the wheelmember,

means projecting generally/radially inwardly from the surface of saidtire member that is disposed about said bore, and that is formed forabutting engagement against said abutment shoulder,

and means for engaging against the tire member remote from saidprojecting means, when the tire member is mounted on the wheel member,constantly to urge the tire member into position for resilientlyengaging said projectnig means against said shoulder.

4. A wheel assembly in accordance with claim 3 wherein said wheel memberis formed with a radially outwardly projecting shoulder at one end ofsaid mounting surface, that functions as said means for engaging againstthe tire member.

5. A wheel assembly in accordance with claim 4 wherein said radiallyoutwardly projecting shoulder is disposed at a distance from theabutment shoulder such that the tire member is placed under compressionbetween said shoulders when it is mounted on the wheel member.

6. A wheel assembly comprising a wheel member that is formed with acircumferential mounting surface on which a tire member can be mounted,and that is formed with groove means in said mounting surfaceintermediate the ends thereof.

a generally toroidal, resilient tire member that is formed with acentral bore therethrough that has a diameter that permits snugengagement of the tire member on the mounting surface of the wheelmember, said tire member being formed with generally radially inwardlyprojecting ridge means on the surface thereof that is disposed aboutsaid bore, and that is formed for engagement in said groove means andfor abutment against the wall of said groove means,

and means for engaging against the tire member when the tire member ismounted on the wheel member, at a location remote from said ridge means,constantly to urge the tire member into position for resilientlyengaging against the wall of said groove means.

7. A wheel assembly in accordance with claim 6 wherein said means forengaging against the tire member, when the tire member is mounted on thewheel member, is disposed at a distance from the groove means such thatthe tire member is placed under compression between said tire memberengaging meansand the wall of the groove when the tire member is mountedon the wheel member.

8. A wheel assembly comprising a wheel member that is formed with acircumferential, generally cylindrical mounting surface on which a tiremember can be mounted, and that is formed in said surface with anendless circumferential groove,

a generally toroidal, hollow, resilient tire member that is formed witha central bore therethrough that has a diameter that is slightly smallerthan the diameter of the mounting surface on the *wheel member to permitsnug engagement of the tire member on the mounting surface of the wheelmember,

said tire member being formed with an endless ridge that projectsgenerally radially inwardly from the surface of said tire member that isdisposed about said bore, and that is formed for engagement in saidgroove and for abutting engagement against a wall of the groove,

and a rim means that is secured to said wheel member and that provides aradially outwardly projecting shoulder at one end of said mountingsurface, and that is disposed, when the time member is mounted on thewheel member, for engaging against the tire member at a location remotefrom said ridge, constantly to urge the tire member into position forresiliently engaging said ridge against a Wall of the groove, and toplace the tire under compression between said shoulder and the wall ofthe groove when it is mounted on the wheel member.

9. A wheel assembly in accordance with claim 8 wherein said wheel memberis formed at the end of its mounting surface that is remote from saidradially projecting shoulder with a generally conical tapered surface,to

facilitate mounting the tire member on the wheel members.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS RICHARD C.PINKHAM, Primary Examiner. L. I. BOVASSO, Assistant Examiner.

1. A WHEEL ASSEMBLY FOR TOY VEHICLES AND THE LIKE, COMPRISING ARESILIENT TIRE HAVING AN INTERNAL BORE EXTENDING THERETHROUGH WITH ARADIALLY INWARDLY EXTENDING RIDGE LOCATED SUBSTANTIALLY MIDWAY BETWEENOPPOSITE SIDES OF SAID TIRE, A WHEEL HAVING A DIAMETER SLIGHTLY LARGERTHAN THE DIAMETER OF SAID BORE AND HAVING A RECESS THAT RECEIVES SAIDRIDGE OF SAID TIRE WHEN SAID TIRE IS POSITIONED ON SAID WHEEL, SAIDWHEEL HAVING AN ENLARGED RIM PORTION WITH AN EDGE THAT ENGAGES ONE SIDEOF SAID TIRE, THE AXIAL DISTANCE FROM SAID EDGE OF SAID RIM TO THE EDGEOF SAID RECESS DISTAL TO SAID EDGE OF SAID RIM BEING SUFFICIENTLY LESSTHAN THE AXIAL DISTANCE, PRIOR TO SAID TIRE BEING POSITIONED ON SAIDWHEEL, BETWEEN SAID RIDGE ON SAID TIRE AND SAID SIDE OF SAID TIRE THATWHEN SAID TIRE IS POSITIONED ON SAID WHEEL FRICTIONAL ENGAGEMENT BETWEENSAID WHEEL AND SAID TIRE NORMALLY PREVENTS RELATIVE ROTATIONTHEREBETWEEN.